Get Well Boston...

Bombing of the Boston Marathon raises emotions ranging from fear to empathy, anger to insecurity. It's easy to be tempted . . . to succumb to the lure of hatred.

Who did this horrific act?

We don’t know so far. Yet, I already recognize the single most important trait about this killer. Hatred. Somebody’s core being contains so much hate that he, or she, is capable of murder with cold-blooded planning and single-minded lethality.

But, this blog is not about the killer. It is about the survivors. Families have lost loved ones. Others have been wounded, from minor injuries to life-changing amputations. They are also survivors. But, it doesn’t stop there. I care about the event participants and fans that were traumatized. They, too, are survivors.

Ultimately, televisions and the internet spread emotional trauma across my country. We all share pain and suffering with those people in Boston who were directly targeted. Should we be angry? Sure. Should we demand justice? Of course.

What about fear? Should this experience make us fear future terrorist attacks? Not me.

Fear is the goal of terrorism. If we succumb to fear, then terrorism wins. Hatred is their lesser goal. If they can get us to hate and retaliate, then they bring us down to their level and our generalized response breeds the next generation of terrorists.

Reject fear. Personally, I will never bow to the threats of terrorism. Likewise, I will not let my anger over this attack in Boston prejudice me toward any religious, cultural or political group. This attack was the final outcome of hate, nothing more. To prevent such events in the future, we must defeat hatred. That war begins in our own minds. It’s our choice.

Sorry this blog is not about writing, but I thought this needed to be said. Please, my friends, demand justice, but resist hate. If we hate, they win.

Fact or Fiction?

“Readers suspend reality when they read works of fiction.” Nonsense!

Some people think writing fiction means the writer can conjure up any old notion, and the reader will blindly accept it. I’m sorry, but that is just not true.

I used to enjoy Superman comic books when I was a kid, never questioning how he breathed while in space or deep under the sea. Old cowboy movies showed shoot-outs where one guy’s “six-shooter” fired an endless string of bullets without reloading.

Why didn’t this lack of realism ruin the stories for me?

Andre Norton wrote a wonderful sci-fi story called Galactic Derelict. It’s one of my all time favorite books. Travis Fox, a young Apache Indian, wanders into a top secret government technology race between competing American and Russian scientists. Swept back in time to the recovery site of an alien spaceship, Travis hides inside the vessel and is transported back to the future. A technician inside the vessel accidentally triggers a homing navigational program. The alien ship takes off, but is twenty thousand years past its real space time. Travis and the technician experience numerous hostile environments as the ship stops in strange worlds across the galaxy. Former advanced civilizations that created the space ship have long since devolved into sub-intelligent species living among ruins of ancient technology.

Her story is wildly exciting as Travis relies on his Indian skills and sharp senses inherited from his genetic lineage to deal with strange new animals. Throughout the tale, the technician works to get them home while Travis explores and hunts with the reader at his side. It is a wonderful juxtaposition between advanced technology and primitive culture.

Suspend reality? Sure, that's part of fantasy. How did the alien space vessel cross vast distances when physics tells us nothing can exceed the speed of light? Don’t know. I don’t care. What was the scientific foundation for the time transportation? Again, I don’t need to know. There are lots of areas where the reader MUST suspend reality to enjoy this story.

So, what about this story kept my interest?

Facts, not fiction, made this story compelling to me. The Apache Indian used skills and knowledge unique to his heritage to survive. The author did her homework. Travis Fox came across as real . . . as believable. The technician deconstructed the alien ship’s control systems using familiar technical and scientific principles. Again, I could believe this character. And, the interaction between the men ranged from friendship to frustration, yet, mutual respect never waivered. While the setting was fantasy, the characters were real.

I just wrote a western-romance <with a secret subset> story. Of course, the plot is fictional, but I studied Native American lore and real history of the old west in the 1870’s to make sure my plot is completely believable. Old photos of the region provided me amazing descriptive detail. History research surprised me with accountings of a small gold rush that happened shortly before my story’s setting. I even studied classic Mexican weaving designs so my written accounts of old blankets in the story come across real.

It is true, readers must suppress reality to some extent when they read fiction. But, they also need realism to make characters and settings come alive. That’s why research is so important in fiction. Facts make fiction real!

Platforms are NOT shoes!

Writers need a "platform" when their work is being presented to mainstream publishers. There are many parts to a platform, but this blog is about one simple thing we can do to enhance our attractiveness to potential publishers. KLOUT.

What IS a platform? Our platform is all the things about us and our experiences in life that will help us sell books. Education, training, special skills, achievements...all these are part of our platform. In truth, it's all about marketing.

Pro Bass boat and sponsors

For example, I was a pro bass fisherman for many years. What does catching a little green fish have to do with selling my stories? I had pro-staff positions. I represented sponsors. They required me to do public speaking, write articles, attend expos to work in the sponsor booths and carry myself in a professional manner, always being careful to maintain a good image. Mainstream publishers like to see those kinds of things. Marketing skills and sales experience in authors are highly desired, so I make sure my prior sales related training and results show up on my "bio" as part of my platform.

But this blog is not about building a platform. Rather, it is about one tool an aspiring writer can use to help sell the platform. Social media exposure.

Publishers know that a lot of books are promoted and sold through social media, but anyone can claim to be active on social media. How do publishers KNOW that a person does indeed actively participate in social media and on a regular basis?

Klout! This website tracks each member's social media activity. They use an algorithm to assign numeric values to all our activity on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Blogger and several other sites. If this value is low, they know the aspiring author is not very active in those resources and portends poorly for future sales efforts online. If the value is high (above 60), then publishers can be pretty sure the aspiring author is familiar with and active in this most important marketing tool for new authors.

The other nice thing about this Klout score is that it changes daily. Why is that nice?

Klout ratings are weighted over a 90-day period. If you are trending up, publishers will see it. If ratings have been on a downward trend...not so good. However, there is one more outstanding benefit of this service. It imposes self-discipline on members. You must maintain regular activity on several sites to keep your rating steady. This is a great habit to develop if one expects to have a successful book sales career.

So, check out Klout. If you're not on there, you might want to consider it. Here is their website:

http://klout.com/home

If you decide to sign up, look up my account and feel free to add me as one of your "Influencers" if you want. Good luck with your platform!

Feeding Your Chickens – Subliminal Writing

When I was a boy, my aunt sold fresh eggs out of her country home. I liked accompanying her through the three long, chicken coups, helping to collect eggs and feed the birds. She taught me the connection between feeding hens and having eggs for Easter decorating or meat for family barbeques. I even learned the difference between dry and wet sh . . . well, let’s say she taught me where NOT to step. It was a good education in real life.

“Everything we get from the chickens,” she would say, “begins with proper feeding.”

One of my daughters lives near several small family farms. Recently, during a mother/daughters walk, they came upon some hens and a lady feeding them. My granddaughter got to hand feed chickens for the first time. When I looked at that picture, it dawned on me, feeding chickens is a great metaphor for the subliminal creative process.

If we writers want a steady supply of literary eggs, we have to feed the writing hens. How do we do that?

Humans have a remarkable tool between our ears called subliminal processing. It’s a part of our mind that constantly, even when we sleep, thinks about ideas. It creates those really cool waking-moment epiphanies when problems we struggled with a day before suddenly become clear. And, this subconscious processor never stops. It solves issues long after conscious thought gives up. Those Eureka-moments, when the thrill of discovery pops out seemingly from nowhere, that’s our subliminal mind at work.

How would you like to influence the output of your subliminal mind?

You’re probably thinking, “Wait a minute, Dean. You just told me this is a subconscious thing. How can I manage to control something over which I have no control?”

The answer? Feed your chickens!

Subliminal processing needs content . . . mental food. The more information you have floating around your subconscious, the more inventory it has for solving problems. Imagine painting a picture with only black and white soft paint. Your art can only show shades of gray. No color. No texture. But, if you have an entire pallet of colors, the possibilities are endless.

Ideas are the food pellets for a writer’s mind, both consciously and subconsciously. They say good writers should be avid readers. Why is that? Because, the more we read, the more inventory we add to our idea pool—the more pellets we are throwing to our mental chickens.

What color is a rose? Many people immediately say, “red.”  A writer should say, “white, yellow, red, orange, pink, blue, peppermint . . .” The writer’s list is almost endless. In addition, roses can be mixed colors. The point is a writer’s mind uses lots of options from which to paint our literary pictures. That old computer adage, “garbage in, garbage out” applies to the mind, too. Images percolating to the mind’s surface come from the input we put in. That content is the key to controlling our subliminal processing results. By controlling the input, we shape the output. Even though the unconscious mind works independently, its output will be limited to the choices we gave it.

If I am struggling with a plot issue or in a quandary about a character trait, I trust my hidden processing to find answers. I will sleep on the matter, sometimes waking in the middle of the night, excited about a solution to my writing dilemma. I keep a pen and pad in my nightstand for those 3AM inspirations. Often, I will be driving down a busy street when my subliminal processor hits the send button with its output. Yep, I keep a notepad and pen in my center console.

Trust your subconscious. It’s a magnificent tool as long as you feed it lots of raw material. Read, watch, listen, smell, taste, feel . . . use all your senses to stock inventory into your subliminal writing reservoir, and when you need it, it will serve you well.

Remember my aunt’s advice. If you feed those chickens, you’ll get a steady supply of eggs.

Oh No…Used the Wrong Word!

Every so often, I draw a blank about a common word while writing. The more I repeat the word, the more incorrect it sounds. Is it spelled “passed” or “past?” Soon, I find myself recasting a whole darn paragraph just to avoid one stinking word.

There’s got to be a better way!

Here it is . . . my personal master list of words I most commonly screw up. Or, more accurately, it’s my cheat sheet. Without this quick reference, I descend into a fat-inducing cycle of breaks for Pepsi and chips to deal with the frustration.

I hope my list provides you the same peace of mind I get when I know answers are at my fingertips. Feel free to copy it into your own Word document or reference it here any time.

accept/except – “accept” means to agree to do something or to terms// “except” is a preposition meaning to exclude something.
example:  I accept my wife’s suggestions most of the time, except when it involves fishing.

alright/all right – “alright” is not a word. In dialog, if a character uses that word, it should be spelled “awright.”

adverse/averse – “adverse” means unfavorable or undesirable// “averse” means reluctant or hesitant.

example:  An adverse credit report caused my loan denial. I was averse to her idea.

afterwards – “afterwards” is wrong in American English, should be “afterward."

example:  We went to the movies, afterward.

alot/a lot – “alot” is not a word.

beside/besides – “beside” means next to// “besides” means other than or moreover.

example:  Put the chair beside my desk.  Besides the expense, I don’t like the color.

bring/take – “bring” usually involves direction of an object to where you presently are// “take” involves moving something to some other place.
example:  When you come over, please bring that book. Take leftovers with you when you leave.

circle around – “circle around” is redundant. Avoid “around" in this context.

compare to/compare with – “compare to” shows similarities// “compare with” shows differences.

example:  My mother’s art has been compared to Norman Rockwell’s. I made less money this month compared with last month.

complement/compliment – “complement” supplements something else// “compliment” is a kind expression directed to someone.

example:  That tie complements your new suit. I appreciated her generous compliment.

criteria – “criteria” is plural of criterion.

examples:  We only have one criterion. Criteria for this position are listed below.

data – “data” is plural. The singular is datum.

example:  The data suggest a critical failure in three days. (note suggest, NOT suggests)

discrete/discreet – “discrete” means a distinct entity// “discreet” means tasteful, or prudent.

example:  Fair Oaks is a discrete part of Greater Sacramento. Be discreet when filing complaints.

effect/affect – “effect” as a noun means a result// “affect” is a verb that means to create a result.

example:  The effect of taking vitamin C for colds is amazing. Vitamin C affects colds in ways we don’t fully understand.

everyday/every day – “everyday” is an adjective that defines a noun// “every day” uses “every” as a delimiter to define the noun, “day.”

example:  I love to jog every day. Jogging is an everyday event in my life.

farther/further – “farther” refers to measurable distances// “further” relates to general lengths or measures.

example:  He can throw a football ten yards farther than Bill.  My hypothesis requires further study.

fewer/less – “fewer” refers to a countable number// “less” compares abstract amount.

example:  There are fewer tomatoes on my plants this year, so I have less marinara sauce.

in/into – “in” specifies location as inside or within// “into” shows movement from one place to another.
example:  I found the papers tucked in the book. Let’s go into the house before the rain hits.

infer/imply – “infer” offers to reach a conclusion// “imply” is to suggest a conclusion.

example:  The data infers a connection. Did her kiss imply more than I thought?

insure/ensure – “insure” is a legal act of making contractual guarantees// "ensure" is to offer assurances.

example:  The agent said they will insure our home. He ensured that my car was repaired.

irregardless – “irregardless” is not a word. It is often confused with regardless and irrespective. This non-word is used commonly in American English vernacular and may be used in dialog IF the character would likely use such wrong vocabulary.

its/it’s – “its” (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of “it”// “it’s” means “it is.”

example:  Its nose was red and warm to the touch.  It’s better to win.

lay/lie – “lay” as a verb needs a subject and direct object// “lie” as a verb does not use a subject or object. “Laid” is the past tense of “lay."

example:  Lay your books on the table. I lie down every day at the same time.

led/lead – “led” is past tense of “to lead” (pronounced “leed”)// “lead” is a malleable metal or a verb meaning to have someone or something following.

examples:  The town mayor leads the parade every year. He led it last year.

literally – “literally” means exact fact and is frequently used incorrectly. For example, “I am literally dying in this heat.” No. You are likely uncomfortable, but not going to die.

lose/loose – “lose” means that you lost something// “loose” means something is not tight.

example:  Don’t lose your lunch money. The bolt became loose when the nut fell off.

might/may – “might” implies uncertainty of an outcome// “may” implies consideration or permission.

example:  I may fire this homemade rocket, but it might explode.

passed/past – “passed” is the past participle of the verb “to pass”// “past” is a noun, adjective, adverb, or preposition depending on how it is used. Passed and past are NOT interchangeable.

examples:  We passed my aunt’s house on the way to the movie. (past tense of “to pass”)
My past finally caught up with me. (noun)  Past behavior finally caught up with me. (adjective modifying behavior)  I ducked past the low branch. (adverb modifying ducked)  I got sick after running way past my limits of endurance. (preposition)

premiere/premier – “premiere” is the opening night of a play, movie or similar production// “premier” means the first or best in status or a political head of state.

example:  I loved the premiere of the Godfather movie. Premier Loch demanded a vote.

principal/principle – “principal” means a sum of money, head of a school or a main owner in a business// “principle” is a basic accepted truth or generally agreed to scientific fact.

example:  Mr. Brown is a principal in the bank. The principle of “Do not harm.” is fundamental to the practice of medicine.

sight/site – “sight” has to do with vision// “site” means located of an internet page.

example:  I lost sight of the others. Have you seen the new site for my business.

sit/set – “sit” is a verb meaning to be seated// “set” means to put or place something.

example:  I set the picture on the mantle. John can sit over there.

than/then – “than” is used to show a comparison// “then” shows a sequence of time.

example:  She is taller than me. Let’s go to the store then head for the beach.

that/which – to understand the proper use of these two words, it is necessary to understand the difference between a RESTRICTIVE CLAUSE and an NON-RESTRICTIVE CLAUSE. Both clauses modify a noun, but the restrictive clause DEFINES the noun while the non-restrictive clause offers additional information about the noun but is not necessary to define the noun.

Restrictive clauses answer critical identifying questions about the noun. For example: The baseball bat that had his fingerprints on it was likely the murder weapon. In this case, the clause defines a specific bat.

Non-restrictive clauses add information that is not essential to the sentence or the noun. For example:  Any one of several knives, which rested in the knife block, could be the murder weapon.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Restrictive clauses are never enclosed in commas, and their information is essential for understanding the sentence.

Non-restrictive clauses are always enclosed in commas, and their information is not essential to the sentence.

 

there/their/they’re/there’re – “there” is an adverb showing place// “their” is the possessive form of “they”// “they’re” is a contraction meaning they are// “there’re” is a contraction meaning “there are."

examples:  Let’s go over there. Their car ran out of gas. They’re going to the store. There’re more cookies in the cupboard.

to/two/too – “to” is a preposition that introduces information through prepositional phrases// “two” is the number 2// “too” is an adverb meaning “also."

example:  Too many people assume motorcycles are dangerous to ride. I’ll take two!

waive/wave – “waive” means to forego a right// “wave” is a hand gesture, usually a greeting.

example:  I waived my right to a reading of the will. She waved goodbye to me.

who/whom – “who” there is a simple way to determine whether who or whom is the right word. Simply put, answer the who/whom question with a he/him response. If “he” is the right answer, then “who” is the right pronoun. Same for whom and him.
example:  For who/whom did they raise money? Response…Money was raised for him. Therefore, “whom” is right.  Who/whom answered the door? Response…He answered the door. So, “who” is right.

your/you’re – “your” is a possessive pronoun, “you’re” means you are.

example:  Your story made me cry. You’re not going to get away with that.

 

Wikipedia list of most commonly misused English words.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_commonly_misused_English_words

Practice Makes . . . What?

How many times have you heard the adage, that if your story is rejected, start writing again, immediately? Or, the notion that your first three novels are just practice, and, by that time, your skills will have grown so you finally write something worthy of publication.

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

He's right.

If you plunge into that "next" story and repeat mistakes that plagued your first story, what have you accomplished? Yep, fast track to rejection number 2, or 3 or worse!

As a young man, I received a lecture during an agency meeting about the importance of repetition in sales training. My supervisor stressed "Practice makes perfect." Behind me, an old, very successful agent muttered "Bullshit" under his breath. When the meeting was over, he tapped me on the elbow and motioned for me to follow him into his office.

"What'd you think about that advice on practice making perfect?" he asked.
"Makes sense to me."
"Well, forget it. It's wrong. The correct statement is 'Perfect practice makes perfect.' If you just keep repeating your mistakes, then practice only makes permanent!"

Wow! That guy's wisdom stayed with me my entire adult life.

How does it apply to writing?

If a writer doesn't learn from mistakes, then the flaws will be repeated every time a new writing challenge is attempted. "There" or "their" or "they're"? "The glass's flower pattern." or "The glasses flower pattern."  Or, one of my favorites . . . "He laid on the couch" or "He lied on the couch."

Before jumping into that next story, find out what was wrong with the first submission. Don't be afraid to ask why you were declined. It might be something over which you had no control, like they already had too many historic fiction writers. But, what if the reason for the rejection was "too much editing needed" or "weak hook" or "shallow plot?"

If you ignore the feedback and dive right into the next book, you're probably going to repeat the same mistake(s) with the same outcome.

"Wait a minute!" you say. "Most agents and editors don't provide feedback. How am I supposed to figure out what to fix, if I don't know what was broken?"

There are three ways to handle this absence of information:

1) Hire a professional editor to review the manuscript and provide assessment. This can be a painful, but critically valuable, experience. "What if I can't afford a professional editor?"

2) Then, find some new beta readers. I'm assuming you used a set of beta readers before you submitted the story in the first place. If you neglected this essential step, then do it the next time. What if you DID use betas? They're human and could easily have missed important writing problems like SPAG, plot holes, weak hook or inconsistent character traits. Try to find some more experienced beta readers (not relatives) who also love your genre. See what they say BEFORE starting your new project. By the way, five good beta readers and an editor-in-training missed my misspelled word "corral" that I spelled "c o r a l." DUH! Fortunately, I caught it on my final edit.

3) If push comes to shove, there's one more source of feedback. Self-publish that first story and watch for reader comments. Readers are the very best judge of what they like, and they will not hesitate to point out every little mistake with the story.

Remember, the important lesson here is that "Perfect practice makes perfect." So, after learning from the feedback, apply your new knowledge and put together that classic story you always wanted to tell.

PS Please accept my apology for only posting two blogs during February. I was bedridden for three weeks and just couldn't get them written at a level I considered presentable. I'll make it up to you, I promise.

Purple Potatoes: Art of “Color-words”

Have you ever seen purple potatoes? I haven't. Do they taste like grapes? Maybe they taste like that purple lettuce in fancy salads. Yuck!  Lord, I hope they don’t taste like eggplant.

Purple food caught my attention recently for a story I am writing when I was building a scene, so I did some research. Did you know there are sixteen common plant foods that are naturally called purple? Surprised me.

I had never heard of purple asparagus or purple carrots. Of course, I would never eat asparagus, so that’s no surprise, but I do enjoy raw carrots and would probably try out the purple variety if given the opportunity.

 

"Blue" berries are purple? Who knew?

It was quite eye opening when I searched for purple natural foods. Some of the fruits and veggies classified as purple, don't make sense to me. They seem misnamed. Blueberries, for instance, fall under the “purple” label. Huh? Then why are they called “blue” berries? Same thing for “black” berries. Since when is black the new purple?

You're probably wondering about all this talk of purple food. How does it relate to writing?

Color. This blog is about what I call “color-words.” Not "color" as in color charts, rather, the expression “color-words” refers to single words or expressions that convey instant images, emotions or actions. They color the story. As we know, writers use words to paint scenes and stimulate emotional responses in readers. How do we, writers, maximize the power of such words? Consider the following scene…

Lisa parked her car and entered my apartment without knocking. I looked at her, surprised that she would assume such familiarity after I ended our relationship last night. She walked toward me with a mechanical gait and a blank stare. Her hand, hidden behind her back, worried me. As I stood up, she pulled a black, nine-millimeter handgun from behind her and raised it. I ran down the hall toward my bedroom weaving to be a difficult target. I saw small chalk explosions with each bullet impact in the sheetrock near me. My bedroom window shattered as my palm slammed into it, but before I could climb out, she called me a bastard and pulled the trigger. The gun clicked. It was out of ammo.

 

note: 26 pronouns and first-person, possessive adjectives in the scene. 125 words

What would happen if we put “color-words” (those creating an instant mental image, emotion or action) as the first words the reader experiences in some or most of the sentences?

Lisa parked her car and entered my apartment without knocking. Surprise brought me to my feet. Relationship talks in the last week ended just last night in a permanent split. Mechanical strides, a blank stare and one hand hidden behind her back gave ample warning. Sinister black lines of a nine-millimeter handgun suddenly rose toward me. I ran. Weaving down the hall toward the bedroom, small chalk explosions traced my erratic trail as bullets impacted sheetrock. My palm shattered the bedroom window, but before I could climb out, she called me a bastard and pulled the trigger. Click. The gun was out of bullets.

note: only 12 pronouns and first-person, possessive adjectives in the scene. 104 words

The second version of the same scene generates more imagery, higher tension and greater relief in the end with fewer words. It accomplishes this reader impact by employing “color-words” to lead off most sentences. Compare the first word of each sentence in the paragraphs.

 

Paragraph 1:  Lisa, I, She, Her, As, I, I, My, The, It.  (Pretty boring, huh?)

Paragraph 2:  Lisa, Surprise, Relationship, Mechanical, Sinister, Weaving, My, Click, The.  (Much better, and fewer words.)

 

Remember the term, "Color-words"

Create impact by opening sentences with color-words whenever possible. Sure, I overdid it in the second example above to make a point, but, just as one might add visual appeal to a meal by using purple lettuce or purple potatoes, do the same in writing by positioning those color-words for strong effect. Start the reader with an image, action or emotion in most paragraphs or sentences. From the first word, the goal is to build excitement, anticipation and connection with the reader.

Make those first words count!

Three Personal Surprises & a Bit of Growth

I've never been a big fan of typical fantasy genre stories. Vampires, witches, werewolves, and zombies--especially zombies--always seemed so ridiculous that I could not "get into" the stories. I never even got past the first chapter in any such book until recently.

Surprise #1: My attitude about fantasy stories changed in late 2011. It began with beta-reading a book, Flank Hawk, by Terry Irvin, II. I was shocked by fantastic character development that had me hooked from the second page on. Mythical creatures simply blended seamlessly into the fast-paced adventure of Krish in a world that made perfect sense. My eyes were opened to new possibilities in the fantasy genre. Thank you, Terry. Flank Hawk is currently on the market in multiple formats offered by Gryphonwood Press. It’s well worth the small investment and reading time.

 

Flank-Hawk-Terry-W-Ervin

Surprise #2:  This one came when I beta-read Calista's Court for Susan Hulcher (remember that name...the “force is strong” with this one!)  Her main character captured my empathy instantly. I wanted to rescue this young girl in the first few pages. As the story progressed, I found myself again led into a mythical realm, unlike any I would normally choose to read. It was magnificent. Even her gargoyles showed strong personalities that interlaced perfectly with the tale. Susan’s manuscript is currently winding its way through the literary submission swamp and will emerge soon to take its rightful place in readers’ hands.

 

 

Surprise #3:  My final personal growth came with The Secrets of Albion Falls by Sass Cadeaux. Amazing story by an amazing storyteller! Again, I found myself sucked into a story unlike any I would have chosen as recently as eighteen months ago. Author Cadeaux ripped me through a blender of emotions from anger to smiles, hope to desperation, compassion to contempt, culminating in one of the most satisfying surprise endings I have enjoyed in ANY genre. Her book just went on the market as an e-book through Amazon last week. Look it up!

 

The Secrets of Albion Falls by Sass Cadeaux

Why blog about these three books?

This blog is not about the books. It’s about personal growth as a reader AND as a writer.

 

I hate change, always have. Yet, I readily admit, I am thrilled to have had my eyes opened by these outstanding tales. Creativity, character evolution, plot growth--these three books illustrate how ALL books should be written. They begin with a strong hook, progress through carefully crafted shifts in pace, provide back-story in metered releases throughout the tale and end in a crescendo of excitement. Oh yeah, they also leave you pining for the inevitable sequels!

But, most important, after reading each of these books, my own inspiration for writing surged. Inspiration knows no genre. Motivation to become excellent derives from touching shoulders with others who have achieved excellence. Each of these improbable (at least, improbable for me to have read) fantasy stories built my confidence, desire and enthusiasm. Genre didn't matter. Quality did!

Who knows? After this bit of growth, maybe I’ll step out of my comfort zone more often. (My wife just looked over my shoulder as I wrote that and said, “You! Step out of your comfort zone? That’ll be a cold day in...!”)

 

I’ll show her. I...I...I’m going to read a vampire story! Yeah, that’s what I’ll do!

Pets in Print

How do pets impact stories?

Most readers have enjoyed pets at some time in their lives. Children learn empathy from pets. Every emotion from unconditional love and to dealing with death can be illustrated through animals. The movie, Old Yeller, brought me to tears as a child, yet it taught me worlds about love and sacrifice. Just as pets help us grow up to be better adults, they can enhance any theme an author wants to show. So, you tell me, why don’t more authors use pets to create or enhance plot movement?

Here is an excerpt from one of my current stories, Maker of Angels, a western romance:

      Tess reached to stroke my horse’s nose, but he reared back and snorted, front hooves slashing the air in front of her.

      “Whoa, boy.” I yanked on the reins, backing him away from her unwanted advance.

      Tess let out a fragile yelp and cowered as she stepped back.

      Plutus spun in a circle, stomping the ground, and he let out several hard blows. I tightened the reins forcing his head into a submissive position. He settled down but kept turning his head to face Tess.

      “That animal is dangerous!” she shouted. “He should be put down.”

      “Never done that before,” I said in his defense. “Maybe he doesn’t like you."

      Damn good judge of character, I thought.

      “If you and I are going to spend time together, that beast better stay in the stable. If it ever attacks me again, I’ll shoot him myself.”

      I was tempted to set her straight, right then and there, but I knew she might get crazy again. Besides, I promised Clyde I would try to keep things quiet until he healed.

      “You don’t have to shoot my horse, Tess. I’ll keep him away from you.”

      Tess got real angry.

      “I told you to call me Nelly, not Tess. How many times do I have to repeat it?”

      “Sorry, Nelly. I’ll keep Plutus away from you.”

What does the horse’s reaction to the woman tell you in this scene? Using the animal’s intuition about Tess, I hoped to show the reader how vile she is.

SKUNK?  We thought it was a cat!

Animals can play an important role in “showing” just about any emotion a writer can conceive. Let’s say you are writing about a depressed teenager, one who struggles with suicidal ideas and low self-esteem. Introduce a puppy. The teen can talk with the pup, stroke the little animal, or even cry while cuddling with the small critter. Readers quickly feel the child’s angst and get the intended message from the author.

How about the fear by a mother with two small kids, wary of an unseen beast lurking in the darkness of nearby forest? To enhance the tension, add a large family dog barking aggressively, saliva frothing on its muzzle, but even this formidable canine keeps backing away from the growing threat. Tension grows more palpable for the reader when even the protective dog backs down.

Here's one last example . . . this from real life. As a soldier in Vietnam, I visited an orphanage for unwanted kids, mostly half breed offspring of American soldiers. One time, I watched a quiet girl, probably seven or eight years old, as she carried a single butterfly that had landed on her finger. She proudly displayed the beautiful insect to other children until it took to the air and flew away. The child began to cry. I put my arm around her shoulders and consoled her, saying it was good of her to let the tiny creature go free. She told me she was not crying about the loss of the butterfly. She said, “I cry because the butterfly can go home to its mother, while I have no mother to go home to.”

It sure seems simple, this concept of showing tension and emotions through animal scenes. So, why do I see so few of them in stories? Evil, despair, love, anger, compassion, even lust—you name the feeling or source of tension—it can almost always be enhanced with carefully crafted pet or wild animal passages. Think about how you might work animals into your story. I promise, you will come to love this writing tool.

Get it Done

I looked at gold-embossed letters on a granite-colored, linen envelope and ran my fingertips over them. They read American Writers Literary Publishing Company.

My hands trembled as I slipped a finger under the flap and slowly passed it the full length to break the seal. A letter waited inside, one I anxiously expected for several months. Every day, my routine included waiting out front for the mailman to arrive. Dad did not know of my excitement.

After removing and unfolding the letter, I read it.

“Dear Mr. Andrew Townser;

Please accept my personal request for the full manuscript, Child of the Rice. We usually work through literary agents, but your query letter, synopsis and first five chapters are more than good—they are positively enthralling. I usually do not get involved in submissions, but my acquisition team was so impressed with your story that they brought it to my attention. They were right to do so.

If the rest of your manuscript matches this sample and your synopsis, we will be quite interested in publishing and marketing your work.

Please consider our enclosed request for an exclusive submission. We are pleased to offer payment for this concession from you. A list of top New York literary agents is also included. When you contact them, feel free to mention that you have begun negotiations with us and need representation. I am certain you will have no trouble getting their attention.

Do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. My direct phone number is below. I am certain you have a major literary success here and we want it.

Yours truly,

<signed>

John Benjamin, PhD

Senior Editor”

 

I sat hard on the kitchen chair and thought about the story.

Child of the Rice began as a story about forbidden love between a Vietnamese rice farmer’s daughter, Mai, and an American soldier. She becomes pregnant, and he dies in combat, never knowing she was with child. Cast out in disgrace by her family, the teenage girl and her child travel to the slums of Cholon near Saigon. The story follows her through a terrible gamut from prostitution, to Communist re-education camps, to her child being taken by government officials to rape on refugee boats—a dangerous path to freedom. Dad never finished writing the story, but I loved the parts I read.
 

Reading light: Mai's village

My father got choked up when he explained the story to me. He was a stoic man, so his emotions seemed odd at the time. Later, it dawned on me. The young soldier in this story; he did NOT die. It was dad! He rotated back to the States, never again to see his first love. Since then, every story about Vietnamese refugees in the news became personal. In his mind, it was not some nameless victim who pirates raped or Communists tortured. Hunger, disease and abuse . . . she was suffering, and it was his fault. Telling the story might be his way to memorialize the sweet love he left behind and to say he was sorry.

I wrote the reply to dad’s letter.

 “Dear Dr. Benjamin,

Thank you on behalf of my father for your wonderful offer.

Unfortunately, dad died four days ago without warning. It was a massive heart attack.

He worked on that story for over ten years, but never finished, always putting off his writing until “a better time.” I encouraged him to submit the query despite the incomplete manuscript. I thought there was ample time to write the ending in the months it would take for publishers to respond to the submission. Nobody expected him to die. He always said he would finish his story "next week."

We are having the following epitaph engraved on his headstone:

Here lies Andrew Townser, loving father and devoted husband. Author of the next great American novel . . . if only it had gotten completed.

Again, thank you for confirming my belief in dad’s writing.

Yours truly,

 

Kevin Townser”

In the past month, one of my old writing friends, Al Pugh, passed away unexpectedly. In my last message from him, he said, “. . . it did give me an epiphany on a WIP of mine. I need to make my hero Sherlock Holmes. (big smile) I'll call soon, maybe tomorrow, depending on how things go around here.”

Next thing I heard . . . Al was dead. Nobody will ever read his Sherlock Holmes story. RIP Big Al.

Moral of this blog:  Don’t be an Andrew Townser. He's not just a fictional character that I used to illustrate a point. He's a metaphor for the possible impact of procrastination. Things do happen in real life. Don't put off your writing or you might deprive the world of the next great American novel. Get your story done, and start on the next one!